Wild Clary

What sets Wild Clary apart is his attitude to ground conditions. He has no preference between wet or fast ground, which matters more than it sounds — many horses struggle in one or the other, but he turns up and runs the same race either way. Trainer Richard Hannon, who runs one of the country's busiest yards with 118 winners sent out this season alone, clearly sees potential in him. Hannon has said openly that Wild Clary is a well-treated horse who should win a nice six-furlong race soon, and that he improved markedly after being keen early in the season at Kempton, producing a strong run in a decent race at Ripon. The trainer also flagged that he has no ground worries, which in plain terms means punters should expect him to run wherever and whenever he is entered.

The snag is his record in top-level races. At Class 1 or 2 tracks, he has won none from eight attempts, so his wins have come against slightly easier opposition. He also has not won any of his nine races with regular jockey Sean Levey, though that may simply reflect bad luck or the quality of those particular races. Still, after three months without a win and recent form that shows promise, Wild Clary looks like a horse waiting for the right opportunity. He was raced just yesterday, so he is an active runner in the yard's plans — and judging by what his trainer has said, that opportunity may not be far away.